In 2002, Rob Marshall scored Oscar gold with his vision of the musical CHICAGO. All of the musical numbers were envisioned as a figment of Roxie Hart's imagination, a device that helped movie audiences bypass the need to "willingly suspend disbelief." Joss Whedon did something similar in a musical episode of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, where the entire town of Sunndydale was under a spell that caused them sing and dance about everything under the sun:

Thankfully, we have reached the point where movie audiences are more "willing" to watch films with characters bursting into song and dance. Well, maybe not so thankfully, since we had to live through multiple sequels of CAMP ROCK and HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, but even those of us who shake our head watching an episode of GLEE (completely unrealistic!) have to admit that these movies have paved the way for our favorite stage musicals to come to the big screen. Broadway fans have proved that movies like LES MISERABLE and SWEENEY TODD can bring in a very large amount of money.

This year's big adaptation is another Sondheim, INTO THE WOODS. After listening to Johnny Depp breathe his way through SWEENEY, I was relieved to see that he had limited screen time as The Wolf, a role that doesn't suffer too much from a breathy delivery. Thankfully, the rest of the cast proved to have voices very suitable for their roles and for the genre in general. Lilla Crawford in particular had the signature piercing tones of Little Red, and Anna Kendrick proved she could move from the a capella pop in Pitch Perfect to the extremely difficult Sondheim score. Just thinking about learning "It's Your Fault" makes my eyes cross, and I have a doctorate in vocal performance!

I know that as a vocal performance grad, I often get...irked...by the continual casting of Hollywood celebrities in these movie musicals, but when I saw Rob Marshall's name, I knew I could stop worrying. I think I'm fine with celebrities playing these roles as long as we continue with directors who know the genre this well!

Rob Marshall knows musical theatre, and his casting choices worked out very well, lending big name appeal to bring in musical theatre neophytes. And of course, he had musical theatre geeks the moment we saw the trailer for Sondheim's popular work! Many were worried at the choices (i.e. cuts) he would make, but I think we worried for no reason.

The most obvious cut was the Act II Prologue ("So Happy"), which is so essential to the original. I imagine he felt (rightly) that this reprise would slow down forward motion of this motion picture. Instead he goes straight from the wedding into the crash of the giants steps. While I missed the symmetry of this semi-reprise of the Act I Prologue, I could certainly understand that the non-geek movie goer would begin to fidget.

Another reprise that I missed much more was "Agony", which goes a long way towards showing that "Happily Ever After" isn't. I really wanted to hear the line about "dwarves", but I was appeased with the brilliant staging in the first round of "Agony." Rob Marshall captured the sheer vanity of the princes so wonderfully. The visual of each of them trying to show a little bit more manly chest was hilarious, and underscored Sondheim's brilliant lyrics.

One aspect that felt unfinished and a little too "happy" was Rapunzel and her prince. I had hoped to see her wandering through the woods with twin babies in her arms wailing her signature motive, but that entire storyline was changed. It left the second act with a bit of a loose end, but the movie didn't suffer too much.

Of course, my biggest fear was Meryl Streep not being able to fill Bernadette Peters' shoes. I need not have worried! In the words of my students.....she killed it.